Alcohol preference in the rat: reduction following depletion of brain serotonin.
Preference for ethyl alcohol was significantly reduced or totally abolished in rats given orally p-chlorophenylalanine, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor that selectively depletes brain serotonin. Some aversion to alcohol was observed while p-chlorophenylalanine was administered, but the rats' rejection of alcohol was even more marked after the drug was discontinued. Oral administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor that depletes brain catecholamines, slightly reduced selection of alcohol, but preference returned to normal as soon as alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine was terminated.
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011600:Psychopharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014364:Tryptophan
D008781:Methyltyrosines; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; D010649:Phenylalanine; D014364:Tryptophan; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases